Newa letter ca

It marks a consonant with a sound like “ch” in “cheese.”

Newa is an abugida: a writing system where a consonant normally carries a built-in vowel. Without a vowel sign or virama, a short “uh” sound is understood, so 𑐔 alone is a letter or fragment rather than a complete word.

This writing tradition is also called Newar script or Nepal Lipi.

Where does Newa writing come from?

The Newa script developed from the northern Gupta branch of Brahmi, an older South Asian writing system, by the 10th century. Its earliest recorded use is in a 908 CE manuscript of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, a Buddhist scripture. Newa writing also appears in inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, books, and publications.

Across its history, the script has been used for Newar (Nepal Bhasa), Sanskrit, Nepali, Maithili, Bengali, and Hindi. Bhujimol is an older Newar form; Ranjana is a related ornamental style used for sacred writing beyond Nepal. After Gorkha rule ended the Newar dynasties in 1769, Newa use declined. The Rana government banned the script in 1905; the ban ended in 1951. As of 28 April, 2026, Newar is mostly written in Devanagari, while cultural and digital efforts are reviving Newa.

How do I type Newa ca?

A Newa keyboard is easiest for regular writing.

Some desktop apps also accept Unicode hexadecimal input. On phones, a Newa keyboard app is generally needed for direct entry.